8 Things Not To Say To Someone With Suicidal Thoughts

hey psych goers welcome back to another video thanks so much for all of your support psycho's mission is to make mental health and self-help more accessible to everyone and in this video we want to continue the conversation about mental health and suicide awareness before we begin we would like to clarify that these eight things mentioned in the video are examples meant to guide a supportive conversation they should not replace the advice of a medical or mental health professional if you are someone close to you having suicidal thoughts please don't be afraid to reach out to professional for help suicide can be difficult to talk about especially when someone reaches out about Suicidal Thoughts it takes immense bravery to ask for help so it's important to keep a few things in mind if you're able to be there for someone who is struggling it's essential that they feel supported but it's also important that you don't take on more than you can handle if you're not a mental health professional it may be an emotional and intense conversation but it's one that can save a life so here are eight things not to say to someone with Suicidal Thoughts one don't say I'd be so hurt if something happened to you supporting someone through Suicidal Thoughts can bring up a lot of fears and emotions but while these sentiments may come from caring intentions they turn the focus on yourself rather than the person who is hurting it's important to listen rather than speak as difficult as it may be right now it's not about you that being said at the end of the day make sure you feel emotionally supported too it can take a toll to be with someone through such a difficult time two Don't Say it'll get better while creating a positive mindset might come easily to you it's not an easy thing to do when faced with dark thoughts it likely won't be helpful to think of a positive future when the present feels so difficult that someone has thoughts of ending their life it may feel dismissive to ignore the hurting that is happening in the present instead make sure to acknowledge the struggle that they've shared with you before offering positivity number three don't say suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem besides offering a cliche that most people have heard before saying this may not be accurate or helpful the permanence of death is common knowledge but it may be distressing to think about when someone is already facing disturbing thoughts those who have Suicidal Thoughts may not feel like their problems are temporary either it may be more helpful to offer a listening ear in order to understand their feelings instead of relying on trival phrases and cliches or don't say don't say that or you're not serious it can be frightening to hear about suicide so it's understandable if you find yourself in disbelief at first that being said it can also be difficult to gauge how seriously someone is afflicted by Suicidal Thoughts but they should always be taken seriously it can feel invalidating when you confide in someone just to be told that you're not serious especially when you let yourself be vulnerable by opening up about your mental health number five don't say if you kill yourself you'll go to hell serious conversations such as these are not the appropriate time to enforce your religious beliefs this likely won't change the way they feel or erase any Suicidal Thoughts nor will it encourage open communication it's okay if you don't share the same beliefs as someone with suicidal thoughts but remember how important it is to support them rather than lecturing them during this very difficult time six don't say you need help you should see a doctor even though seeking professional help Force Suicidal Thoughts is very important it's probably best not to suggest it quite like this it's crucial to realize that they're taking steps towards asking for help just by confiding in you and they'll feel supported if you acknowledge that it is true that a medical professional will be the best resource for helping those with Suicidal Thoughts that's no reason to be dismissed of yourself seven don't say it's not that bad the truth is we we can't always sympathize with situations we don't understand we'll never get to walk in one another's shoes so we'll never truly know what it is that someone else experiences what might feel like nothing to one person might feel like the end of the world to the next even if the best we can do is listen it's important not to downplay the severity of their emotions whatever they may be and lastly don't say what others have at wor comparisons are rarely healthy even though you may be well-meaning and simply wanting to remind them of the positives it's not helpful to focus on others or to diminish the validity of their emotions in any way by reminding them that others have it worse you're essentially saying that they should not have Suicidal Thoughts because they're not in a worse position this could make them feel guilty for their emotions which is something no one should ever feel if you have someone in your life who's depressed or seems suicidal and you want to be there for them offer them a hug or a shoulder to cry on help them see that there is hope and that things can get better let them know you care about them and that they're not alone in this you might not completely understand or know what to say but it will mean a lot to them if you show them that they're not alone and that you truly care if you know someone who may benefit from online counseling we've partnered Ed up with better help an affordable online counseling platform that you can utilize they're constantly striving to improve their services and terms and conditions the link will be in the description box below as always thanks for watching